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A FEW THOUGHTS IN SUPPORT OF NA INNOVATION
Now’s the time for brewers and distillers to explore no-alc options.
The historical social stigma sometimes associated with avoiding alcohol is retreating.
The category structure that included the somewhat uncomfortable nomenclature of ‘mocktails,’‘virgin drinks,’ and too few NA beer options is changing, thanks to efforts from brands to deliver more complex and tasty drinks.
People are ready for innovators as interest and expectations about NA taste and quality continue to rise.
While more brands are entering the NA cocktail and spirits spaces, only some are scoring resounding wins in North America.
Online reviews of brands currently available often highlight the absence of mouthfeel and layered flavour profiles that people want from the no-alc drinking experience.
Connecting with the people who want no-alc drinks means positioning your brand as:
Sophisticated, moving beyond the 1940’s Shirley Temple or Roy Rogers
Flavourful, with combinations that link the familiar with more novel tastes or tap into the unique notes carried by different alcohol bases
Fun, with packaging and flavours that help non-drinkers fit in with social settings
Within the NA beer segment, offering noalc beer on tap levels the field for people who want to blend with the crowd.
For cocktails, adding unique tastes and ingredient combinations to familiar formats enables non-drinkers to become trend-setters.
Aligned with the rituals of alcoholic beverage consumption - relaxation and socializing
